Magnificent Devices 01 - Lady of Devices

forgiveness that you did.” Claire touched the wide ribbon in her hair. “It took courage to make the attempt, and I salute you for it.”
    Lizzie and Maggie shared the front seat all the way home, holding hands and considerably lighter of heart than on the trip in. Claire was no judge of how to bring up children, but she was a fair judge of character. The tension of that ride to town would go a long way to preventing Lizzie from exercising her light fingers again. At the very least, she’d seen the effect thievery could have on someone who was barely more fortunate than herself. The loss of a week’s wages would have hurt that young woman deeply, and Lizzie was headstrong, not heartless.
    Dear me. Mathematics and chemistry are so much more straightforward. How have I managed to become a ramshackle sort of mother when I’m mere weeks out of school myself?
    But there was no use wondering about the strangeness of her lot. She had killed a man, even if she hadn’t meant to. If she could turn these ragamuffin children into useful young men and ladies, maybe it would go some way toward paying back that debt. She may as well play the mother. After all, with every day that passed here on the wrong side of the river, the likelihood that any man would want to wed her faded further away. She had no prospects and now possessed what could only politely be called a “past.” If with God’s aid she could help these children, maybe she would have done as much good as any real mother in London.

Chapter 27

    If she held onto her hat, Claire could tilt her head wa-a-ay back and take in the topmost panes of the immense Crystal Palace. Beside her, Lizzie did the same, lost her balance, and staggered backward into Tigg’s arms.
    “Steady on,” he said, setting her on her feet. “Don’t want to tumble into any of these engines.”
    “’Ow tall is it?” Claire had never seen the girl so awestruck. “Does it touch the clouds?”
    “It might if it were raining.” Claire consulted the guidebook. “It says here the top of that rounded roof is one hundred and eight feet. So if you took seven houses like ours and stacked them one on top of each other, you’d just be able to climb up and touch the glass.”
    “I ent climbin’ up any such for all the tea in China.”
    “I’m very glad to hear it. Shall we go look at the steam engines?”
    Making their way through the crowds of people, it took some time to get to the exhibit hall. Half the spectators were looking at the exhibits and the other half were gazing up and down the long vistas of glass, holding their hats as Claire had done. While Willie and Tigg examined a small engine meant to pull wagonloads of coal or tin, Claire stood next to an enormous steam locomotive and gazed at it with as much awe as Lizzie had the glassed-over sky.
    How was it possible that such power and intricacy could be so beautiful? And how was she going to gain admission to the university so that she too could one day create something as huge and inspiring as this?
    “I see our interests coincide once more,” said a male voice beside her.
    If he had left off the last two words, Claire would have cut the man dead for his impertinence and moved away to collect the children. As it was, she blinked up at him from under her impractical but very pretty hat brim.
    Of all people ... ! “Mr. Malvern.”
    “I must confess how happy I am to see you. Did you get my card?”
    Concerned . “I did. What did you mean by it, sir?”
    He hesitated, evidently expecting her to swoon like the schoolgirl his partner believed her to be. “Simply that I was worried about you. The papers were full of the Belgravia riots. When I could get no news of you, I went to the house. I left a message with the dustman.”
    Ah. Mystery solved.
    Goodness. He traveled all the way from his laboratory to Belgravia simply to see if she was safe? How kind. And how very singular. “You have no need to worry. I am quite well.”
    “I see that.”
    Tigg drifted to her side and Claire resisted the urge to smile at his protectiveness.
    Andrew Malvern tensed under his conservatively cut suit. “I say. Not so close to the lady, if you please.”
    Claire laid a hand on Tigg’s arm before he did something foolish, like attempt fisticuffs. “It’s quite all right. Mr. Tigg is with me, as are the three children examining that engine behind you.”
    “With you?” Mr. Malvern’s gaze went from the Mopsies and Willie in their clothes